How to Travel Bali on a Budget • The Blonde Abroad

Updated: October 2022

Bali is a super budget-friendly destination, so it’s pretty easy to visit the island and not have to worry about breaking the bank. Though often busy with tourists, Bali is still surprisingly affordable if you know where to look. Depending on your accommodation style, I would estimate that $50-100 USD a day is a good range to budget in order to travel comfortably around Bali.

Here are my tips for traveling Bali on a budget!

Budget Accommodations in Bali

There are tons of great hostel options in Bali if you prefer the social scene! My go-to is renting a private villa on Airbnb, and I’ve even found some for as low as $50 USD a night. Look for jungle vibes, pretty pools, and breathtaking cliff-side views; there’s no shortage of these on the island.

Canggu/Seminyak Area

Grandmas Plus Hotel Seminyak: Just a 2-minute walk from Seminyak Beach, this budget hotel offers modern, single rooms starting at $23 USD per night.

Black Pearl Hostel: Located in Canggu and within a short walk to Echo Beach, this hostel has a beautiful pool and offers a restaurant, free WiFi, an outdoor swimming pool, plus garden and pool view terraces. Beds start at $14 USD per night.

Kos One Hostel: This is a very trendy and design-centric hostel — it has a beautiful pool and a stunning buffet breakfast.

La Boheme Canggu: This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Canggu! Beds start at $11 USD per night.

Ubud Area

Run House B&B: A simple B&B with air-conditioned rooms and free WiFi, and close to the Ubud Palace and Monkey Forest. Double rooms start at $13 USD per night!

WW Backpackers: A high-rated hostel in Ubud, very central to all the sites.

Suka’s House B&B: Suka’s House Bed & Breakfast features an outdoor pool and private rooms starting at $25 USD. Daily breakfast is served on the private terrace overlooking the garden.

Transportation Around Bali

Taxis are the most expensive transport around here. Renting a motorbike is the “way” of Bali and very cheap. You can hire one for 30,000-50,000 IDR ($3-$5 USD) a day! If you don’t feel comfortable driving yourself, you can use the GO-JEK app for an Uber-type service but on the back of a motorbike.

Budget Meals in Bali

Even if the hotels were insanely expensive in Bali, the cuisine alone would make it worth the visit. Mouthwatering dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (noodles), satays, martabak pancakes, and noodle soups are abounding.

Local food and street food are very affordable—a plateful of chicken, rice, and veggies might only set you back a few dollars. Look for local ‘warungs’, which are local restaurants with typical Indonesian cuisines.

As a plus, food found at warungs is generally really fresh!

Restaurants owned by westerners have started marking up their prices a bit compared to five years ago, but typically, you can budget between $15-$30 USD a day on food and drink and eat quite well. Bali is full of casual cafes, and is very accommodating to vegans and vegetarians!

Spa Services in Bali

One of the biggest attractions of Bali is the affordable spa services. Massage houses can be found on nearly every corner offering one-hour massages for $10-30 USD.

If you ever feel like splurging, try a spa at one of the many luxury hotels which usually include a day pass and pool access!

Staying at the AYANA Resort and Spa BALI

Budget Activities in Bali

There’s so much to see and do in Bali. Hanging out at the beautiful beaches will cost you nothing — and most of the beach bars offer affordable drink prices, so you can hang out in their loungers for a few hours!

For tours around the island, hire a local driver for the day, and split the cost with fellow travelers to save money. You can hire a driver for around $30 USD for the day and visit sites like Ubud Monkey Forest, Mt. Batur, Uluwatu, and the Pura Gunung Kawi Temple.

The Ultimate Bali Travel Guide

Shopping on a Budget in Bali

Bali is also an amazing place to buy from local artisans. The Ubud market is one of the best locations for shopping.

For mass-produced items, you’ll find that you can haggle for less than half the initial price most vendors ask. As a benchmark, the typical, vibrant and loose-fitting pants for sale at nearly every vendor can usually be brought down about $5-7 USD.